Article assembly apparatus



June 13, 1944.

A. c. FRANKWICH ET-AL ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 a m m V W c 6 6.34. SEELE T June 13 1944. A. c. FRANKWICH ET AL' I 2,351,116

ARTI CLE AS SEMBLING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V VE N TOES AC. FEANAW/CH G. H. SEELEY 147' TOE/V5 Y June 13, 1944. A. c. FRANKWICH ETAL 2,351,116

' ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 3/ Hafi //v VEN ro/es H. C. FkANKW/CH GZASEELEY HTTOENEY' Julie 13, 1944. c, FRANKw|H 'ET AL 2,351,116

ARTICLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed June 50, 1942 Sheets-Sheet 4 //v VEN T0195 A. C. FEHNK W/CH HTTOEA/EV June l3, 1944. c, FRANKw|H ETAL 2,351,116 ARTICLE AS'SEMBLING. APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 30, 1942 I IN VE N T025 Ming . v m w WW. 2 wL.m nun E A 6v 5 June 1944- A. c. FRANKWICH arm. 2,351,116 mucus ASSEMBLING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 5 000 an 000 O. a 2 O 69! O'- 8.

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INVENTOES A. C. fien/vxw/cfl I GTASEELEY 5Y A d -4 4 HTTORNEX Patented June 13, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTICLE ASSEMBLY APPARATUS Alexander Q. Frankwich and George A. Seeley, Baltimore, Md., assignors to Western Electric- Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June so, 1942, Serial No. 449,108

18 Claims.

This invention relates to article assembly apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for assembling fuse wires in fuse shells.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and efficiently operable apparatus for expeditiously assembling articles.

In accordance with one embodiment of the-invention, an apparatus is provided wherein a reciprocating needle or hook is advanced through a fuse shell and then retracted to draw a fuse wire from a supply thereofthroughthe shell. The needle is rotated during its advancement through the shell to clear a passage through the fuse shell lining and, after passing through the fuse shell toward the supply of wire, the needle is. stopped in a predetermined position with the hook on the needle pointing downwardly in a position to be engaged by the end of a fuse wire which has been drawn from a supply during the last previous threading operation. this fuse wire was bent down in the last operation and a lever travelling in a circular path is oscillated to wrap the fuse wire around the needle or hook so that the end-hook portion of the needle will, upon retraction thereof, grasp the end of the .fuse wire and draw it through the fuse shell. The supply of fuse wire is mounted upon an oscillatory arm so that during the pulling of the fuse wire through the ;fuse shell by the needle, the supply will rock toward the shell and after the wire has been completely drawn through the shell, knives on opposite sides of the shell are reciprocated ;to cut off and bend over the ends of the wire, thereby to, hold it in the shell and to move the portion of the wire ratus embodying the invention, parts being broken away to illustrate more clearly som other parts of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on a large scale, taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. l in the direction of-thearrowsshowin-g a portion of the mechanism-for feeding the fuse shells to an assembly-point;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary'detailedr-yiew, also 5 The end of taken along the line 2-2 and showing the mechanism which cutsjoff the ends of the fuse wire in its open position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. l in the direction of the arrows showing part of the fuse shell feeding and clamping mechanisms;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5- 5 of Fig. 1 in the directionof the arrows showing, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the fuse shell feed ing mechanisms;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-45 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows and showing the wire feeding or threading needle or hookin its advanced position preparatory to drawing a fuse wire through a fuse shell;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of Fig. 6 and showing the hook or needle in its retracted position after having drawn a length of fuse wire through a fuse shell and after the fuse wire has been cut off from the supply;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows showingsome details of the mechanism for feeding the fuse shells to their assembly-position;

Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged fragmentary end elevational views of the mechanism for wrapping the end of the fuse wire around the needleor hook, Fig. 9 showing theapparatus inthe position it occupies prior to wrapping the end of the wire around the hook and Fig. 10 showing the apparatus in the position it occupies after the end of the wire has been wrapped around the hook or needle; H

"Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detailed perspective view of the apparatus shown in Figs. 9 and '10 onafurther enlarged scale; a v

Fig. 12. is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line l2l2 of Fig. 1. in the direction of the arrows showing the relative positionof the various mechanisms involvedin feeding and wrapping the fuse wire around the needle and shows; one smaller scale, some of the mechanisms shown in .Figs. 9,.10

and 11-;' 1

,Fig. 13 is an enlargedfragmentary vertical sectional View taken substantially along, the line |3-I3 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows showing. the clutch mechanism which controls rotationxof the needle during. the advancement of the needle through the fuse shell;

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line I4I-4 of Fig. 13 in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 15 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken along the line II5 of Fig. 14, Figs. 13, 14 and 15, when considered together, illustrating the mechanism for controlling [the rotation of the needle; I

Fig. 16 is a timing diagram illustrating the approximate time of operation of the various mech- Fig. 17 is a circuit diagram of the control circuit for stopping the operation of the apparatus .10 anisms which cooperate in the apparatus; and

2,351,116 5 7 I r. Y

" 64 and lock nut assemblies H and I2, respecwhen the fuse shell or wire supply is exhausted 1 i or when the needle will not pass through the fuse shell.

In the drawings, the needle operating mechanism 2|, the shell handling mechanism 22 and tively. v Also fixed tothe shaft 52, as shown most clearly in Figs. 14 and 15, is a disc 13 having a notch I4 formed on its surface for engagement by a Y latch member I5. The latch member is nor- I 'mally urged to" rotate in a counter-clockwise the fuse wire handling mechanism 23 are shown a generally in Fig. 1, which illustrates their relative positions. A pair of motors 24 and 25' supply the driving power for the apparatus, the motor 24 being mounted beneath a bench or table 26 and the motor 25 being mounted above the bench ortable 26. The motor 24 drives all of the apparatus with the exception that the needle is rotated by the motor 25, as will be described more in detail hereinafter, and is resiliently urged in one direction and positively driven in the opposite direction by mechanisms controlled by the motor 24. The motor 24 is interconnected by means of a chain drive 21 with a main shaft 28 which extends substantially throughout the length ofthe apparatus and has a series of cams mounted upon it. The shaft 28 is rotatable in bearings 29, 38 and 3 I, which are suitably mounted'on the table 26. At its left end, the shaft 28 carries a cam 32 having a-cam groove 33 in which a cam roller 34 rides. The roller 34 is mounted on a lever 35, which is, in turn, pivoted on pivot pin '36 mounted in a block 31, which is suitably secured to the table 26. The upper end of the lever 35 has a stud shaft 38 fixed to it about which a supply spool 39 carrying a supply of fuse wire-48 is freely rotatable. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that cam '32 will rock the lever 35 about its pivot pin 36 once for each, rotation of the shaft 28 to "advance the supply spool 39 toward the center of the-apparatus and:

then to move it back to the position shown in Fig. 1 for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.

The shaft 28 also serves to impart reciprocation to a needle 46 fixed in a chuck which is mounted upon the end of a reciprocableand rotatable shaft 48.

gear 5| whereby rotation may ,beimparted to the shaft 48 through the action of the gears 58 and 5| while the shaft 48. may be reciprocated axially of the gear 58.v .The gear 5| ismounted upon a shaft 52, which is adapted to be rotated.

by the motor 25 throughthe action of aclutch 53 and a pulley 54. .The pulley 54 is driven I through a belt 55 and a second pulley 5.6 mounted on the shaft 51 of the motor 25." The clutch 53 may be .of any-suitable construction which may be stopped to accurately position the shaft driven therethroug'h-eachtime the clutch is disconnected from the driven shaft. In the presentem bodiment of the invention, a clutch has been chosen which includes a pairofdiscs 68 .a'ndf6I'. The clutch disc 6| in this particular type of The shaft 48 is splined, as. shown at 49, to a gear 58, which meshes witha direction (Figs. 13 .and 15) by a coil spring 16 attached to its lower end and to a support member TI which extends upwardly from the table 26 to support a shaft 18. The lever 65 is fixed to the shaft I8, about which thelatch member I5 is freely rotatable. The support member 11 carries a pair of bearings I9 and 88, in which the shaft I8 is oscillatable, the shaft normally being urged to the position shown in Fig. 13 by a cam lever 8| interconnected with the support member 11 by a coil spring 82.,Spring 82 urges the lever 8| to the position where a cam roller 83 mounted upon its lowerv end will bear against the surfaceof a cam-84. The lever 651s provided with a lug. 'extendingout over the face of the latch member. .15 so thatwhen the lever 65 is rocked through theaction of the cam lever 8| and. shaft I8, thelatch member I5, as well as both of the abutments 63 .and 64, will be disengaged from the surface of their respective discs I3, 68 and 6|. The'cam 84 is mounted upon and fixed to the shaft 28 and thus, for each revolution of the shaft 28, will cause the shaft 52 to be rotated a number of times while the cam roller 83 is in engagement with the high portion of cam 84 and each time the shaft 52 is stopped after having been driven through the clutch 53, the shaft will'be' stopped in exactly the same position, where, due to the engagement of the gear 5| with gear 58, the needle 46 carried by shaft 48 will be positioned with its hook pointed downwardly-as shown in Figs. 6 and 11. The shaft 52 is journalledln bearings 81, 88 and bearingplate 89. The bearings'BI and 88 are supported bythe side walls of a housing 98, which alsoserve to'support 'a'pair of rods 9| and 92, which extend to the 'right (Fig. 1) to support the bearing plate 89. The housing 98 isalso provided with an exten'ding'portion 93, which'serves to' support the motor 25 in a raised position with respect to the table 26.

In addition to the mechanism for imparting rotation to the'needle '46, the needle is adapted to'be reciprocated and this is effected by a cam I 88 mounted upon the shaft 28 and having a cam groove I-8I in whicha cam rollert|82 travels. The cam roller I82 (Figs. 1. and 14) is mounted upon a travelling block I83 which rides upon-a pair of. rods I84 and I85. .-The .iods- I84. and I85 are supported attheirileft .end (Fig. 1) by the'housing 98rand' at 'theirrightv .end are sup.- ported by a bracket I86. Mounted on.-the block I831is .a camming member. I81 .adapted to engage a cam surface I88 on:a lever. |89.. The lever respectively, and is urged .toirotate in its pivot studs in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 1) by a contractile f spring II4, which tends to hold the cam'surface I08 against the camming member I01. At its upper end, the lever I09 has a slot. I Iformed in its forming two side portions I I6 and II 1, which are, in turn, slotted as shown at II8 (Fig. 1) to receive slidable blocks H9. The blocks I I9 are pivotally connected with a rectangular sleeve I20. Thev sleeve I 28 will thus be reciprocated upon oscillationeof the lever I09 and since the shaft 48 is freely rotatable in, but movable with the sleeve I20, the sleeve I29, through the action of lever I89, will impart reciprocation to the shaft 48, thus to reciprocate the needle 45. The sleeve I is notched, as shown at'I2I and I22 to receive a pair of guide rods I23 and I24, respectively, between which the sleeve is'slidable, theguide rods serving as rails to support the right end (Fig. 1) of the shaft 48 during its reciprocation with respect to the gear 50 towhich the shaft '48 is splined.

In the shell handling mechanism 22, there is provided a hopper I (Figs. 1 and 2) in which a supply of fuse shells I3I, as most clearly illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8), may be positioned. These fuse shells comprise a tubular member I32 of insulating material, in the ends of which there are suitably fixed metallic end members I33 threaded to receive positioning nuts I34. The end member I33 is provided with a central aperture I35, which is in alignment with an aperture in a tubular member of flame resistant material, such as asbestos tubing I36. It is into this tubing of-asbestos that the fuse wire must be inserted. The hopper I30 may be of any suitable construction and is provided with agitator members I31 mounted upon a shaft I38, which carries at its outer end a sprocket I39 adapted to be driven by a chainI40, which passes around a chain drivingsprocket I4I mounted on the shaft 28 and over an idler sprocket I42, which causes the chain- I40 to bear against the sprocket I39. Thus, the agitator I31 will be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 to agitate parts in the hopper I30 and cause them to assume a' horizontal position in a vertically extending outlet passage I43 of the hopper I30. The hopper and its cooperating parts are mounted upon the upper portion of an irregularly shaped frame member I44, which extends upwardly from acam housing I45, in turn mounted upon a pedestal I 49 mounted on the bench or tables26. The cam housing I 45 has positioned withinit and mounted upon the shaft 28 a series of cams for operating the mechanisms which feed the shells'from the hopper passage I43 to position to'have the fuse wires inserted in them and other cams for clamping the shells in position to have the fuse inserted in them and for cutting off the ends of the fuse wire 40. Positioned on the pedestal I46, in front of the cam housing I45, is an irregularly shaped casting I41. The casting I41 has formed integrally with it a pair of side plates I48 and I49 and a central support member I50, which, together with the side plates I48 and I49, support a main slide supporting block I5I, which has a series of eight grooves I52 to I59, inclusive, formed in them (Figs. 6 and '7) for receiving the slidable parts which effect the clamping, shearing or cutting operations on the fuse shell and fuse-wire, respectively. The upper mid portion of casting I41 has a plate I80 mounted thereon for serving to support the lower ends of the members which form the passage I43 from the hopper to a position to be carried over to a clamping position.

- On the shaft '28, within the camhousing I45,

there are provided a pair of cams I10 of exactly the same construction which have cooperating with them camrollers vI1I vmounted upon the ends of clamp actuator levers I12 (Figs. 1 and 4). The clamp actuator levers I12 are. pivoted on a rod I13 and have slots at their .upper and lower portions, the slot I14 in the lower portion receiving the end of a contractile spring I15 which normally urges the lever I12 to rock in a counterclockwise direction about the rod 113. Slots I16 and I11 in the upper end of the lever have pins I18 and I19, respectively, fixed in them about which blocks E and I8I, respectively, are freely pivoted. The blocks I80 and I8I ride in slots I82 and I83, respectively, formed in clamping members I84 and I85, respectively, the clamping members being slidablein the slots I53 and I54 and I51 and I58 formed in the casting or slide supporting block I5I, suitable retaining plates I08, I81, I88 and I89 being provided for holding the clamping members I 84 and I in place in their respective slots. The clamping members I84 are bent over at'their top ends, as indicated at I90 and when the lever I12 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the clamping member I 84 will be urged downwardly and the clamping member I85 will be urged upwardly to grip a fuse shell I3I between the notched ends of the clamping members. One of the clamping members I84 is provided with a projection I9I, which moves in alignment with a'plunger I92 of a highly sensitive electrical switch I93. This switch I93 is adapted to be actuated for control purposes when there is no fuse shell between the clamping members I84 and I85 .and will be actuated by depressing its plunger I92 when the clamping member I84 moves beyond the position which it will occupy when clamping a fuse shell I3I between it and a cooperating clamping member I85.

The fuse shells are fed to the clamping members I84 and I85 by a carrier slide 200, which is reciprocated in timed relation to the operation of the clamping members (Figs. 2, 5, 6 and 8). The slide 200 is slidable in ways 20I and 202, which are positioned at the top of the cam housing I45. The slide .200 is provided with a slot 203, in which there is freely rotatable a roller 204 adapted to be engaged by the opposite sides of a bifurcated bell crank lever 205. The bell crank lever 205 is pivotally mounted on a pivot rod 209 and is normally urged to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction by a contractile spring 201, which engages one of the arms of the bell crank and extends up to and is secured on a pin 208 extending outwardly from the frame member I44. The bell crank lever 205 carries a cam roller 209, which rides on the surface of a cam 2I0, which is, in turn, fixed to the shaft 28. Thus, for each rotation of the shaft 28, the bell crank lever 205 will be oscillated once about its pivot rod 206 to tend to advance and to retract the carrier slide 200. At its forward end, the carrier slide, as best seen in Fig. 5, is tapered downwardly, as shown at 2| I, to provide a shoulder 2I2, on which a fuse shell I3I may rest while the fuseshell is held in its forward position and clamped in that position by the clamping members I84 and I85. Cooperating with the shoulder 2I2 and downwardly tapering surface 2II is a spring member 2I3 fixed, at its right end (Fig. 5), to a portion of the carrier slide 290. There are two spring members 2I3 positioned on the underside of the carrier slide 200 and in order to adequately support a fuse shell I3I, bolster spring 2I4 areprovided for holding the spring members 2 I3 in their upper postion when a shell I3I is positioned thereon. .The bolster springs 2I4 engage the underside of the springs 2I3 and the'upper surface of'the heads 2I 5 formed on rods 2| 6 threaded into the underside of the carrier slide 200. The slide 200 will, therefore, carry a shell 2I3 from a positionin vertical alignment with the passage I43 over into alignment with the clamping members I84 and I85 where the shell will be clamped by the clamping members and retraction of the carrier slide 209 to .the right will cause the springs 2I4 to be compressed and the spring 2I3 to bend thereby to pass under the shell I3I held in the clamping members and return to position to receive another shell. Since, at the time the carrier slide 200 is moved to the left (Fig. 5), the clamping members I84 will be disengaged from a shell I3I resting on the lower clamping member I85,.the. end of the spring 2I3 will push a shell, into which fuse wire has been threaded over into a trough II'I formed in the casting I41, down which the completed'fuse will slide to thus eject a completed fuse from the apparatus.

In order to prevent jamming of the fuse shells I3I at the point where they are discharged from the passageway I43 onto the carrier slide 20I, are a pair of shell supporting levers 2I9 (Figs. 2 and 8) for holding the supply of shells I3I in the passage I43 until the carrier slide 200 is retracted to a predetermined point. The two shell supporting levers 2I9 are of exactly the same construction and are pivoted on the retaining plates I88 and I89 by means of pivot pins 220, which extend through the levers 2I9 and into brackets 22I suitably mounted on the plates I88 and I89. The levers 2I9 are normally urged to rotate in a counterclockwisedirection (Fig. 2) by springs 222, which encircle the pivot pins 220 and engage the plates I88 and I89 and the lever 2I9. The levers 2I9 are provided with pins 223, which extend into slots 224 formed in'the carrier slide 260 and the springs 222 urge the levers 2I9 to follow the carrier slide 200 when the carrier slide moves to the left (Figs. 2, 4, and 5). However, the:carrier slide travels farther tothe left than the levers H9 and, therefore, during the latter part of movement of the carrier slide 206 to the left (Fig. 2), the levers 2I9 will not travel with it but will stop with their notches 224 engaged with shoulders 225 on the retaining plates I 88 and I89, in which position the top surface of the levers 219 are directly under the shells I3I in the passage I43. remain in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 for a short time after the carrier slide 266 starts to move to the right and after the carrier slide 209 has moved a short distance to the right, the levers 2l9 will start to follow it, thereby topermit a shell to move downwardly to the passage I43 into the nest formed by the springs 2I3 and the sloping surface 2II of the carrier slide. It should be noted that the fuse shells I3I in the lower portion of the passage I43 ar held between plates 226, which are fixed to the frame member I44 and that these plates will hold the fuse shells in the proper position in the passage After a fuse shell has been fed from the hopper I30 through the passage I43 and transferred by the carrier slide 200 into alignment with the clamping members I84 and I85 and has been clamped in position by the clamping members, the needle. operating mechanism 2| .will operate Furthermore, the levers 2I9 will to feed the needle 46 through the fuse shell preparatory to drawing fuse wire 4|) through the shell. When the apparatus is in this condition, th needle 46 will occupy the position shown in Figs. 6, 9, 10 and 11 and the fuse wire 49, having been threaded through a sizing die 238 and between control rollers 23I and 232, will be positioned as shown in Figs. 6 and '7 with its end bent over as indicated at 233 (Figs. '7 and 9), the fuse wire 40 having been passed through a guide sleeve 234. The guide sleeve 234 is set into a hollow shaft 235, to which a gear segment 236 is suitably fixed. This gear segment 236 is freely rotatable in an insulating bearing 231, which is, in turn, supported by an irregularly shaped plate 238. The irregularly shaped plate 238 is fixed on the side plate I48 (Fig. 12) and thus rotatably supports the gear 236 and hollow shaft 235 in position, where the gear 236 meshes with a gear segment 239. The gear segment 239 is mounted on a stud shaft'24fl. 1

Fixed to the gear segment 239 is a cam roller 24! in alignment with a cam 242 mountedon the shaft 28. Once in each rotation of the shaft 23, the cam roller 242 will engage with and drive the gear segment 239 through a part of a revolution to rotate the gear 236 and effect the wrapping of the end of the fuse wire around the needle 46. The gear segment 239 is urged to remain in the position shown in Fig. 12 by a contractile spring 243 fixed to the plate 238 so that after oscillation by the cam 242, the gear segment 239 will return to the position shown in Fig. 12. The right end of the gear 236 (Fig. '7) as most clearly shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, has a pin 244 fixed in it about which a spring 245 is wound. The

the lever 246 and acts to effectively bend the; fuse wire 40 around the point of the needle 46- when the needle is retracted to draw the fuse wire through the fuse shell I3I. As seen most clearly in Figs. 9, l0 and 11, the lever 246, in

its inoperative position, is in engagement with an abutment 248 and, upon rotation being imparted to the shaft 235 and gear 236, the lever,

246 is carried around with them and th needle;

46 having been moved up into a position where its hooked end is beyond thebent end 2330f the fuse wire 40, the lever 246 will carry the bent end 233 of the wire around with it, the pin 241 passing over the bent end '233 of the fuse wire 40 to insure that the fuse wire will b wrapped. on the hook portion of the needle 46. When the. gear 236 and shaft 235 have been rocked to their ultimate position, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11',

the fuse wire will be bent around the needle 46.

The gear 236 and shaft 235 will remain in this position for a short time after, the needle 46 starts retracting to the left (Fig. '7), thereby tohold the fuse wire in the notch of the needle.

As the needle 46 is retracted, the bent-over portion of the bent pin 24! will beengaged bythe' free end of the fuse wire to bend the fuse Wire sharply around the hooked portion of the nee-- dle 46. Continued movement of the needle 46 to the right (Figs. 1, 6 and 7) will result in the fusewire being drawn through the fuse shell I3I.

If the needle 46 does not draw thefuse wire 40 through the shell BI and leaves a loop of wire bent-by the lever 246, a pin 250 on the end of the hollow shaft 235 will, upon the return of the shaft 235 to normal, bend the fuse wire back to the position shown in Fig. 9.

After a length of fuse wire has been drawn through the shell I31, cams 255 mounted on the shaft 28 will, due to the engagement thereof by the cam rollers 255 mounted on the ends of irregularly shaped levers 251, rock the levers 251 about pivot rod' I13. The construction of the levers 251 is substantially the same as the construction of the levers I12 and the levers 251 are urged to rock in a counter-clockwise direction by coil springs 258 (Fig. 2). The levers 251 have pivoted in them camming blocks 259 and 268 which are slidable in cam slots 26I and 262 formed in knife actuating slides 263 and 264 carrying upper and lower knives 265 and 266, respectively (Figs. 2 and 3). InFig. 3, the knives 265 and 266 are shown in their open position and in Fig. 2 they are shown in the closed position after having cut off the fuse wire at both ends of the fuse shell #35. When the knives 265 and 266 are in their open position, the V-shaped notch 261 will permit the passage between the knives of the needle 48 and after the fuse wire has been drawn through a fuse shell I3I, the cams 255 will become effective to cut off the fuse wire at both ends of the shell and bend down the bentover portion 233 of the fuse wire preparatory to hooking it onto the needle the next time the needle is advanced to engage it.

It should be noted that the sizing die 238 is insulatedly mounted on a bracket 268 and, as pointed out hereinbefore, the shaft 235 and gear 236 are also insulated from the remainder of the machine. Therefore, the fuse wire 40 is out of electrical contact with the machine unless the fuse wire is engaged bythe hook 46. ence to Fig. 17, it will be noted that the machine framework and hook 46 are connected to ground and that a circuit will be completed from ground at 215 through the hook 46 and through a switch 216 and the switch I93 to the winding of a relay 211, the other side'of the winding of which is connected to grounded battery at 218. The relay 211 controls theflow of current to operate the motors 24 and 25 through a master start switch 219. The motors 24 and 25 are thus supplied with current from a current source 280 upon closure of the switch 219 if the switches 213 and 216 and a cam actuated switch 28I are closed, the cam actuated switch 28I serving to connect ground at 282 through switches 216 and I93 to the winding of the relay 211. The switch 28L as shown in Fig. l, is mounted upon a bracket 283 secured to the table 26 and carries a cam roller 234 in the path of a cam 285 mounted upon the shaft 28. The cam 285 is arranged to maintain switch 28I closed at all times when the needle 45 is not in electrical conducting connection with the fuse wire 46 and through the fuse wire and switches 216 and I93 to the relay 211. Thus, when the needle 46 should be engaging the fuse wire 40 to maintain the motor circuit through energizing relay 211 and such connection is broken for any reason, for example, by the fuse wire breaking in being drawn through the fuse shell I3I, the motors 24 and 25 will be stopped. However, in the interval when the needle 46 is not supposed to be engaging the fuse wire 40, the circuit to the relay 211 will be maintained from ground at 212 through the closed switch 28I and closed switches 216 and I93 to the relay 211. If, for example,

By referthe supply of fuse wire 46 is exhausted, the roller 232, whichis mounted'upon the end of a spring pressed lever 283, will move upwardly and permit the" switch 216 to open. Similarly, the circuit from ground at 282' or 215 may be broken upon actuation of switch I93 due to the absence of a fuse shell I3! between the clamping jaws i84an'd I85 when the clamping jaws close.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following brief description of the operation thereof when considered in conjunction with the timing diagram shown in 16. If it be assumed that a supply of fuse wire 48 has been mounted upon the supply spool 39 and the end of the wire has been fed between the contact roller 23I and switch actuating roller 232, thence through the guide sleeve 2341 and bent over as shown at 233, and if it be further assumed that a supply of fuse shells I3I has been placed in the hopper I30, the apparatus is in condition for operation and the switch 219 may be closed to initiate operation of the apparatus. In the timing diagram (Fig, 16) the cycle of operation is shown as starting with the needle 45 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 6 and with the end of the wire 4!] wrapped around the end of the needle. This cycle has been chosen arbitrarily since the apparatus may be stopped at any time by opening the switch 216. However, starting with the just described conditions, closure of the switch 219 will supply power to the motors 24 and 25. The first revolution of shaft 28 will pull the fuse wire 40 to the right (Figs. 1, 6 and '1) until the hook reaches the position shown in Fig. 7. As the hook 46 moves to the right (Fig. 1), the wire supply spool 39 will also be moved to the right due to the action of cam 32 and lever 35. In this manner, the wire will be pulled through the fuse shell I3I. As soon as the wire has been pulled a short distance away from the guide sleeve 234, the cam 242 will become effective to permit spring 243 to rock the gear segment 239 back to the position shown in Fig. 12, thereby carrying the mechanisms which wrap the wire around the end of the needle 46 back to the position in which they are shown in Fig. 9. During the portion of the stroke of the hook 46 to the right, switch 28! will be opened by its cam 285 and if the wire breaks at any time during the stroke of pulling it through the fuse shell, the apparatus will be stopped due to the breaking of the circuit to the relay 211 through the wire 48. Shortly after the'n'eedle 46 reaches its right hand position, as shown in Fig. 7, the cam 285 will release switch 28'I and permit it to close, thereby to hold the motor circuits energized. Just shortly after the switch 28I closes, the cam 255 will be effective to permit spring 258 to actuate the knives 265 and 256, thus to shear the ends of the wire ad- .lacent the fuse shell I3I. As the cam 255 returns the knives 265 and 266 to their normal position, cam 2! will become effective to actuate the carrier slide 288. The springs 2I3 will push the loaded fuse shell I 3i, through which a section of fuse wire 46 has been inserted, into the trough H1 and will carry a second fuse shell i3; into position between the clamping membersIS l and Iii-5. As soon as a new fuse shell I3! has been placed between the clamping members I84 and E85, the clamping members will close to grip the fuse shell I3I between them and. shortly after they have engaged the fuse shell, the carrier slide 208 will be shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2. As the carrier slide I tance, the levers 2I9 will be actuated by the carrier slide to move out from under the row. of fuse shells I3I in the passage I43, thereby to permit a new fuse shell to drop onto the carrier slide. If no fuse shell is fed to the clamping members I84 and I85, switch I93 will be opened by the projection I9I and the operation of the apparatus will be stopped. However, if a fuse shell is properly positioned between the clamping members I84 and I85, the hook 46 may be advanced through the fuse shell I3I held by the clamping members I84 and I85- Just before the hook 46 starts to travel through a fuse shell I3I, cam 84 on shaft 28 will cause clutch 53 to engage and start rotation of the hook or needle 46. Simultaneously with the advancement of the hook or needle 46 to the left (Figs. 1, 6, 7 and 3) the supply spool 39 will be cammed away from the sleeve 234 to unwind a new section of fuse. wire 40 from the supply spool. As soon as the hook or needle 46 approaches the left end of its stroke (Fig, l), clutch 53 will be disengaged and latch member I5 will properly position the hook 46 in the position shown in Fig. 11. As soon as the hook 46 has reached its extreme left-hand position (Figs. 1 and 6), cam 242 will become effective to drive the gear 236 counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, to wrap the bent-down end 233 of the'fuse wire 40 around the hook portion of the hook or needle and the operation may then be repeated.

-What is claimed is:

l. A fuse threading machine comprising means for holding a fuse shell, a needle insertable through said shell, means engageable with fuse material and movable in a circular path for causing fuse material to be moved around and hooked by said'needle, means for advancing and retracting said needle through the shell, means for rotating the needle during its movement in one direction through the shell, and actuators for operatingsaid several means in timed relation one to another.

2. A fuse threading machine comprising means for holding a fuse shell, a needle insertable through said shell, means movable in a circular path about the end of the needle for engaging and moving a strand of fuse material to hook it on said needle, means for advancing and retracting said needle through the shell, means for rotating the needle as it is advanced through the shell to clear the shell, and means operable in a predetermined cyclic order for actuating said several means in timed relation one to another.

3. A fuse threading machine comprising means for holding a fuse shell, a needle insertable through said shell, an oscillatable means operable to engage a strand of fuse material and wrap it around the end of the needle for hooking the strand of fuse material on said needle, means for advancing and retracting said needle through the shell, means for rotating the needle during its movement in one direction through the shell, and means for actuating the several means in proper timed relation.

4. A fuse threading machine comprising means for holding a fuse shell, a needle insertable through said shell, means movable about an aXis eccentric to the axis of the needle to engage a strand of fuse material and wrap it about the needle for hooking a strand of fuse material onto said needle, means for advancing and retracting the needle through the shell, means for cutting and bending the ends of the fuse material drawn through the shell by the needle, and means for actuating the several means in proper timed relation.

5. A fuse assembling machine comprising a rotatable threading. needle, means for feeding a supply of fuse element material in strand form to a predetermined position, means movable in an arcuate path to bend the fuse element material around the needle for hooking the end of said material on said threading needle, means for advancing said threading needle to position to receive the end of said material and for retracting said threading needle to thread the material through a shell, means for rotating the threading needle during its advancement, means for operating said several means in proper timed relation including an electric control, and circuit means for said control including said needle in the circuit for interrupting the operation of the said last-mentioned means when the needle fails to advance the strand of fuse element material.

6. A fuse assembling machine comprising a rotatable threading means, means for feeding a supply of fuse element material in strand form to a predetermined position, means at said predetermined position for hooking the end of said material on said threading means, means for resiliently urging said threading means to position to receive the end of said material and for positively retracting said threading means to thread the material through a shell, a common drive means for actuating the several aforementioned means in proper timed relation one to another, and means operable under control of said common drive means for rotating the threading means during its advancement.

7. A fuse assembling machine comprising a rotatable threading means, means for feeding a supply of fuse element material in strand form to a predetermined position, means movable at said predetermined position for engaging the end of said material and wrapping it around said threading means, means for resiliently urging said threading means to position to receive the end of said material and for positively retracting said threading means to thread the material through a shell, and means for operating said several means in proper timed relation.

8.-A fuse assembling machine comprising a rotatable threading means, means for feeding a supply of fuse element material in strand form to a predetermined position, means for hooking the end of said material on said threading means, means for resiliently urging said threading means to position to receive the end of said material and for positively retracting said threading means to thread the material through a shell, means operable in timed relation to the before-described means for cutting off and bending the ends of said fuse element, and means for actuating the several means in proper timed relation.

9. A fuse assembling machine comprising a hopper for fuse shells, a clamp for holding a fuse shell during the insertion of a fuse element therein, means for transferring shells from the hopper to the clamp, a rotatable threading means, means for directing a supply of fuse element material in strand form to a predetermined position, means for hooking the end of said material on said threading means, means for advancing said threading means to position to receive the end of said material and for retracting said threading means to thread the material through a shell, means for rotating the threading means during its advancement, and means for actuating the several means in proper timed relation.

10. In a fuse threading apparatus, means for drawing a fuse wire through a shell, means for positioning a shell to receive said fuse wire, means for supplying fuse wire to a position to be fed through a shell, means for operating said several means in proper timed relation including driving means, a motor circuit for controlling the supply of power to operate said driving means and means controlled by the fuse wire for interrupting said motor circuit.

11. In a fuse threading apparatus, means for drawing a fuse wire through a shell, means for positioning a shell to receive said fuse wire, means for supplying fuse wire to a position to be fed through a shell, means for operating said aforementioned means in proper timed relation including driving means, a motor circuit for controlling the supply of power to operate said driving means, means controlled by the fuse wire for interrupting said motor circuit, and means operable by the fuse shell positioning means for also interrupting said motor circuit if no shell is present in said positioning means.

12. In a fuse threading apparatus, means for feeding a supply of fuse wire to a predetermined point, a fuse threading needle, means for moving said needle to position adjacent said predetermined point, and means for attaching the fuse wire to the needle including a lever movable bodily in a circular path around the needle for engaging the end of the fuse wire and bending it around the needle.

13. In a fuse threading apparatus, means for feeding a supply of fuse wire to a predetermined point, means for bending the free end of said fuse wire at an angle to the direction of feeding thereof, a fuse threading needle, means for moving said needle to position adjacent said predetermined point, and means for attaching the fuse wire to the needle including a lever movable bodily in a circular path concentric with the direction of feeding of the fuse wire around the needle for engagingjthe bent-over end of the fuse wire and bending it around the needle.

14. In a fuse threading apparatus, means for advancing a fuse threading needle to a predetermined point, means for feeding a fuse wire in a path parallel to the feed of said needle, means for bending said fuse wire at right angles to the path of feed of said needle adjacent said predetermined point, means rotatable about the path of feed of fuse wire for wrapping the end of the fuse wire around the end of the needle including a lever movable in a circular path concentric with the path of feed of the fuse wire and eccentric of the path of feed of the needle to wrap the fuse wire around the end of the needle, and means engaging said lever and positioned in the path of the fuse wire to engage the fuse wire and cooperate with the needle to attach the fuse wire on the needle.

15. In a fuse threading apparatus, means for advancing a fuse threading needle to a predetermined point, means for feeding a fuse wire in a path parallel to the feed of said needle, means for bending said fuse wire at right angles to the path of feed of said needle adjacent said predetermined point, means rotatable about the path of feed of the fuse wire for wrapping the end of the fuse wire around the end of the needle including a lever movable in a circular path concentric with the path of feed of the fuse wire and eccentric of the path of feed of the needle to wrapthe fuse wire around the end of the needle, means engaging said lever and positioned in the path of the fuse wire to engage the fuse wire and cooperate with the needle to attach the fuse wire on the needle, and means mounted on said means rotatable about the path of feeding of the fuse wire for straightening the bend put in the fuse wire by the wrapping lever if the fuse wire is not properly attached to the needle.

16. A fuse threading machine comprising means for holding a fuse shell, a needle insertable through said fuse shell, automatically operated means for causing fuse material to engage said needle, means for advancing and retracting said needle through the shell, means for rotating the needle during its movement in one direction through the shell including an intermittently driven element connected to the advancing and retracting means, and motor-driven means for actuating said several means in timed relation one to another.

17. A fuse threading machine comprising means for holding a fuse shell, a needle insertable through said shell, means engageable with the fuse material and movable for causing the fuse material to engage said needle, a chuck for supporting said needle, a shaft for supporting said chuck, means operable intermittently for reciprocating the shaft, a common drive means for operating said several means in proper timed relation, means operable intermittently for rotating the shaft during its movement in one direction, and drive means for said last-mentioned means rendered operative under control of the common drive means.

18. A fuse threading machine comprising means for holding a fuse shell, a needle insertable through said shell, means for attaching an end of a supply of fuse material to said needle, a splined shaft, means for reciprocating said shaft, a chuck mounted on one end of said shaft for holding said needle, and a gear splined to said shaft for imparting rotation to the shaft duri g a portion of its reciprocatory motion.

ALEXANDER C. FRANKWICH. GEORGE A. SEELEY. 

